Parents programming aims to bridge communication gap at LU

Lamar University Office of Student Engagement has taken over parents programming with plans to increase parent involvement. The goal of parents programming is to get parents involved at LU and keep them up to date with news, events, deadlines and other important information on campus.

Jay Lambert, assistant vice president of student engagement, said he hopes to provide parents opportunities to become more engaged with Lamar and their students’ experiences.

“We use multiple methods to make things available to our students,” he said. “Whether it’s by providing information or activities for students and parents to engage in, our ultimate goal is for students to be successful. With this transition, we hope to continue the great things that have been done in the past and start getting more parents involved in a way that is constructive and makes them feel comfortable.”

Lambert said often the most successful students are those whose families are involved with their education.

“Parents are a great influence on their students,” he said. “The more we can get the parents engaged, the more I think we can keep our students engaged.”

Sometimes parents want to talk to another parent who has experienced having a child in college. Lambert said he hopes to communicate to parents that the office of student engagement is there to help students and parents alike.

“I think parents of older students can be a great resource for parents of younger students. We will strive to find a way to bring them together and make that work,” he said.

Lambert said one of the activities planned for the coming football season is a family weekend where families of students will be invited to campus to get an inside look at LU life.

“It is a way to welcome families to the campus and get them more involved with Lamar and their student’s life on campus.”

In addition to activities, Lambert said he plans to set new standards for Lamar in the social media realm by further developing LU’s presence on the web.

“We recently created a website dedicated to social media,” he said. “You can find a list of all of our department websites, their Facebook and Twitter accounts at www.lamar.edu/studentengagement. We will have weekly updates about the positive things happening for Lamar, as well as events going on around campus.”

The increase in social media presence can be beneficial to students in ways they might not fully realize. Parents following LU on Twitter or Facebook can stay apprised of various deadlines and help keep students on track.

“You will also find a staff page with LinkedIn profiles so parents and students can look at resumes, research interests and other information that may help identify student engagement staff,” Lambert said.

For more information, call the office of student engagement at (409) 880-7821.

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